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“It’s bullshit,” Elix growled. “But tell me what you claim you’ve learned.”
“You have dark magic in your lineage. Your real father is a dark soul, undoubtedly. It’s where your power comes from.”
She inhaled sharply and took a step back, stumbling. Instinctively, I reached out to catch her, but she pulled away. “Don’t touch me! Do you believe this? That my mother had an affair, and I’m the product of that?!”
I drew back and folded my arms over my chest, maintaining a stoic slate on my face, despite the deep pain inside me. I didn’t want to believe it, but the more I thought about it, the more it made sense.
“We’ll run more tests,” I told her firmly, but she scoffed.
“I can’t believe this,” she snapped, striding toward the door.
“Where are you going?” I demanded, but she didn’t answer me as she stormed out of my office and into the hallway, slamming the door in her wake.
Cirilla released a long, whooshing breath.
“Well, that went well,” she commented, falling onto the chair that Elix had previously occupied.
“Get Saint in here,” I spat. “And I haven’t forgotten about your punishment. You’re still going to be dealt with when this is all straightened out.”
Cirilla grimaced and rose slowly. “And if I’m right?” she asked quietly. “Or rather, when what I’ve said is confirmed? Then what will you do, Jace?”
“Don’t worry about me,” I retorted. “I’m used to disappointment. I’ve been dealt it my entire life, remember?”
Chapter 20
Elix
Ididn’t know where I was going except far away from Cirilla and Jace’s accusations.
What are they saying? How dare they?
My stomach had been growling, having waited over an hour for Jace to join me for dinner in the dining room. However, my hunger faded, overwhelmed by the unsettling rumors laid out before me.
The look in Jace’s eyes as he had stared at me, like I was withholding information from him all along, churned my stomach.
“Miss, can I get you anything?”
A maid startled me out of my reverie, and I realized I had stormed back into my suite in the midst of my haze. I forgot about her, the unexpected extra body in my midst now, despite the fact that I hadn’t wanted her there. For half a second, I almost unleashed on her, but I stopped myself, realizing that it had nothing to do with her. Swallowing my anger, I shook my head, gathering my purse and cell phone. I couldn’t sit in the palace a second longer, not if I wanted to keep my sanity.
“No. Thanks.”
Retrieving my belongings, I made my way back out of the suite but through the back halls and down the servants’ halls, determined not to encounter Cirilla or Jace, lest they come looking for me and finish the conversation we’d started in the study.
Saint was right. We shouldn’t have gotten into any of this. It’s all crap. All of it!
My denial ran strong and furious, but as I rushed out of the palace, determined to put space between me and the accusations that had come before me, I couldn’t think of the reasons for it.
Was Jace feeling too close to me? Was this his way of running me off?
I didn’t want to believe that, but what other reason could there be for what he had suggested? Surely he couldn’t believe that I wasn’t my father’s child and that my mother had an affair with some dark force who had sired me.
My head spun, and even the night air did nothing to clear my head.
I contemplated walking all the way to Geldon, but it was a long hike, and Saint wasn’t answering the phone when I called. I might have to go looking for him.
I slipped into the garage, and the drivers looked up from their card game in surprise.
“Do you need a ride, Miss Elix?” one of them asked, looking behind me for my guard. I had ensured to come alone.
